The Paleo Diet Grocery List – Essentials For The Week

Starting something new, whether it is a diet or any other task, requires some preparation.

When it comes to starting a new diet, the hardest part is to adjust your usual grocery list to the changes.

When I decided to go on the paleo diet, honestly, I thought I was prepared when I stepped into the grocery store.

But apparently, I was not, as I either run out of food half week though or I just was not sure what to make with certain types of foods (as I was not used to eating certain vegetable and there were not a lot of paleo friendly recipes back then).

So nowadays I go to grocery stores with the paleo diet grocery list drafted in advance.

Below I prepared for you the paleo diet grocery list that contains all essential foods that will help you to start the diet. Of course, it is not an ultimate paleo diet grocery list.

Once you keep rolling with the diet, you will have your own set of meals that you will cook periodically.

Approaches To Grocery Shopping

Generally speaking, you do not have to go to the store and buy all the groceries at once. Basically, there are two approaches when it comes to making groceries:

Approach 1. Buy everything at once for the week.

As mentioned in one of my posts that my household is quite busy. So I do not have much time left to buy groceries every single day.

Planning all the meals for the following week (saying to plan on Saturday in order to buy groceries on Sunday) works wonders for our family. Moreover, we include kids in the discussion to make sure that all tastes are satisfied.

Once the meals are set, I draft the grocery list to bring with me to the store. Of course, you cannot predict everything.

It might happen that you might run out of some foods during the week. But it is much easier to pick up several items at the store once in a while, rather than doing groceries every single time.

Approach 2. Buy groceries when needed.

I used this approach couple of years ago when my household was not as big and busy as it is now. And this approached worked totally fine for me back then.

The idea of this approach is to buy groceries every day or couple of times a week based on the ingredient list of meals you will be cooking that day or the following day.

If you do not have a big family, you do not have to do so many preparations. You can leave the meal choice for the last minute to pick up all needed groceries, saying, after work.

Though if you are at the beginning of your paleo diet journey, I would still recommend you drafting a shopping list for a couple of weeks to get used to the new lifestyle.

What Groceries Will You Need?

The paleo diet grocery list is a sample of foods that you can find, pretty much, in any grocery store.

You would also want to make sure to load yourself with enough protein, fruits, and vegetables to add up more calories to your diet (1).

Meat and Fish

As I mentioned above, you want to make sure to eat enough protein during the day, especially if you are just starting the paleo diet. The following meat and fish are great to have in your fridge at all times:

Beef

Chicken or Turkey

Duck

Eggs

Pork

Shrimps

Yellowfin Tuna

Wild-Caught Salmon

Tip! If you have an option, buy organic grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, and pasture-raised poultry.

Vegetables and Fruits

Even if you are not used to eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, this diet will help you to enjoy them.

The following vegetables and fruits are great to start with:

Vegetables:

Asparagus

Broccoli

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Cucumber

Garlic

Green beans

Kale

Lettuce

Mushrooms

Onions

Peppers

Spinach

Sweet potato

Tomato

Zucchini

Fruits:

Apple

Avocado

Banana

Berries (e.g. strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)

Grapes

Mango

Melon

Orange or mandarin

Peach

Pear

Plum

Watermelon

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are great as snacks and adding more calories to your diet:

Almonds

Hazelnuts

Pecans

Pistachios

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Walnuts

Healthy Fats and Oils

Avocado oil

Coconut oil

Olive oil (cold-pressed)

Sesame oil (cold-pressed)

Other Foods

There are other foods that are great to have in your fridge or pantry such as:

Almond flour

Almond milk (better homemade)

Coconut aminos

Coconut flour

Coconut milk (better homemade)

Cocoa powder

Fish sauce (gluten-free)

Herbal tea

Herbs and spices of any kind (if you buy mixes, no sugar or sweeteners on the label)

Where To Go Grocery Shopping?

Most of the groceries used in the paleo diet can be found in an ordinary grocery store.

However, there are certain items (like coconut aminos, tahini, almond flour and coconut flour) that are harder to find.

Some major grocery stores have specialized organic or healthy sections. Try to look for these items in there. If not, check your local health store or look for some items online.

If you have a chance, try to buy seasonal produce at the local farmer’s market. The seasonal produce usually cost less and will guarantee you freshness. You can always freeze some produce bought in the season for using it later during the year (2).

As I have mentioned earlier try to buy grass-fed meats, pasture-raised poultry from your local farmers. Also, look for the wild-caught fish.

Ready To Start?

It is always hard to do the first step when it comes to changes. Moreover, you might feel a little overwhelmed with all new information you received.

The hardest part is to understand what you need to buy in order for you to follow the new diet.

The paleo diet grocery list will help you to start your new healthy lifestyle. Once you keep going with the diet, you can adjust the list based on your needs and tastes. So Are You Ready To Start Your New Healthy Lifestyle?

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Melissa

I have a large family, 3 kids at home, so I can’t shop every day. I shop once a week for things we need(like milk, bread, etc.) and once a month for refills. The once a month takes me a while but it saves me trips. I love this list you have provided, I am big on a list, I will not shop without a list. I don’t know much about the paleo diet so I am going to go read more on your other post because I am interested now because I love the food items that I still… Read more »

Hi Melissa,
Thank you for your feedback.
Absolutely, when your household is so busy, you cannot afford grocery shopping every single day!
If you have never heard about the paleo diet before, you can read this post to get some insight on what is the diet about!